Hanna Alshaikh has spent more than a decade immersed in radical activism, defending violent groups, whitewashing terrorism, and fostering a hostile environment toward Jewish students. Now affiliated with Harvard University and the Arab Center Washington DC, she continues to use her academic and public platforms to promote extremist narratives—including support for Hamas.
Publicly Quoting Hamas Leadership
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Alshaikh has quoted former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on her Twitter/X account, signaling her ideological alignment with Hamas’s leadership. Haniyeh is responsible for orchestrating and defending brutal terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians—including suicide bombings and the October 7 massacre.
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Quoting figures like Haniyeh is not merely symbolic—it represents an open endorsement of Hamas’s role as a legitimate resistance force, despite its documented war crimes and genocidal charter.
Consistent Pro-Hamas Messaging Online
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Alshaikh has repeatedly shared posts echoing Hamas rhetoric, glorifying “resistance,” and calling for a “Free Palestine from the river to the sea”—a slogan widely understood as a call for Israel’s elimination.
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She has never condemned the October 7 Hamas massacre, and instead focused her commentary on justifying Palestinian violence, claiming it is the “inevitable result of colonization.” Her social media history reveals a pattern of deflection and justification whenever Hamas is involved in atrocities.
Defense of Convicted Terrorists
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In 2015, Alshaikh defended Rasmea Odeh, a convicted terrorist involved in the murder of two Israeli civilians in a Jerusalem supermarket bombing. She dismissed Odeh’s terrorism as “ridiculous,” despite detailed evidence and a confession.
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In 2023, she again aligned herself with Hamas-adjacent figures, portraying them as victims of “U.S. imperialism” rather than agents of terror.
Harassment and Aggression Toward Jewish Students
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As an SJP leader at DePaul and Loyola Chicago, Alshaikh participated in disruptive campus actions targeting Jewish students, including blocking access to Jewish heritage events and verbally confronting pro-Israel groups.
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These tactics, combined with her endorsement of Hamas’s leadership, have contributed directly to an intimidating and unsafe climate for Jewish students on campus.
Promoting Anti-Israel Propaganda
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As Palestine Project Coordinator at the Arab Center Washington DC, Alshaikh authors articles minimizing Hamas’s terror, attacking U.S.-Israel ties, and pushing for the delegitimization of Israel as a Jewish state.
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She has publicly promoted the “Deadly Exchange” conspiracy theory, falsely accusing Jewish institutions of training U.S. police in brutality—an antisemitic trope repeatedly debunked by researchers and watchdogs.
Conclusion
Hanna Alshaikh is not a passive academic—she is an active promoter of terror-linked ideology, who uses her affiliations with Harvard and the Arab Center Washington DC to lend intellectual cover to Hamas and its crimes. Her consistent justification of violence, defense of convicted terrorists, and admiration for Hamas leadership make her a deeply troubling figure in academia.
Any university or organization granting her a platform must be held accountable for legitimizing extremism and contributing to a growing wave of campus antisemitism.
